Child #2’s Chimichangas

Yesterday, as you may know, was Cinco de Mayo, or Mexican independence day. We, in the states, tend to celebrate it too. Hey, it’s another reason to party, people! So, Child #3 decided that she would make chimichangas. She has been perfecting this recipe for a while now, and I’ll tell you, they are awesome! Thankfully, this recipe makes enough for leftovers (yay, lunch!!!) So, here it is:

Protein Mixture Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1, 16 oz. can refried beans

1, 8 oz. can tomato sauce

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. minced garlic (fresh or jarred, though she used jarred)

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Sauce Ingredients

1, 4 oz. can chopped green chilies

1, 4 oz. can chopped jalapeno peppers

2, 8 oz. cans tomato sauce

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. chili powder

Other Ingredients

Your favorite gf non-stick cooking spray

18, 6″ corn tortillas (approximately)

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions – Protein Mixture

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cook beef with onion on medium heat in a large frying pan. When beef is cooked through and onions are soft add refried beans and chili powder, garlic, cumin and can of tomato sauce. Stir to combine and warm through.

Directions – Sauce

In a medium-sized bowl mix the 2 cans of tomato sauce, the green chilies, and the jalapeno peppers. To this add the cumin, salt, and chili powder. Set aside.

Directions – Putting It All Together

Spray a 9″ x 13″ pan with your favorite gf cooking spray. One tortilla at a time, add enough protein mixture to fill, but not overfill said tortilla (about 2 Tbsp.) Top with about 1 Tbsp. of the sauce. Add a sprinkle of the cheddar cheese to the tortilla filling. Place in pan and have someone else with impeccably clean hands hold it in place while you work on the next tortilla. Continue until you have filled your pan. Sprinkle the leftover cheese on top of the pan of chimichangas and slide into the preheated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the tortillas are crispy and the cheese is melted. Enjoy!

Vegan or Vegetarian Note: If you want to make this vegetarian or vegan you could substitute diced mushrooms for the beef, or a can (16 oz.) of kidney beans. As for the cheese, you could try vegan cheese if you so require. Either way, the spices should make however you make it delicious!